A certain Mr Jeremy Clarkson and the outfit he was affiliated with at the time (what was that called again?) even made it Car Of The Year.

Here’s the problem — it was a Subaru.

The GT86 was essentially a ­Subaru BRZ. The car was ­officially a joint effort, but from the ground up it was primarily engineered by Subaru.

It is powered by Subaru’s signature 2-litre boxer engine. And even GT86-badged versions are built at Subaru’s factory.

Certain parts came from Toyota, like the injectors, but that’s like putting a strawberry on a chocolate cake and calling it a fruit salad.

With all the glory and awards — which translate to sales on the forecourt — Toyota was standing on Subaru’s shoulders and calling itself tall.

That’s not to say Subaru, whose parent company is part-owned by Toyota, didn’t need Toyota’s deep pockets to get the car off the ground.

But let’s give credit where it is due, because the second generation BRZ is here and it’s a thing of pure joy.

I’ll start with that boxer engine. Using pistons which fire horizontally at each other like boxers trading blows, rather than the up and down of an inline four or V, the engine can sit much lower in the car.

And being lower means a better centre of ­gravity, which is one of the reasons the rear-wheel drive BRZ handles so beautifully.

Minimal pitch and roll in corners makes it a track- hungry instrument of precision, asking to be slammed along snaking B-roads, or drifted in a fug of tyre smoke around empty roundabouts late at night.

That said, with a little less than 200bhp at your disposal and weighing 1,200kg, you really have to wring its neck to get it moving.

The needle danced around the red zone for most of the day I had it (I would love to see a turbo bolted on to that sweet little engine).

But it compensates your ­aching right ankle with a throaty engine bark which I will never tire of hearing.

This second generation BRZ is only a facelift, but tweaks have made a difference.

It now looks even more race-ready, with a chunky new bumper and rear spoiler which perches on the top of the boot.

It’s the first Subaru to come with LED headlights, and the bold ten-spoke alloy wheels look as perfect on the BRZ as a lace thong does on Stella Maxwell.

The Tiguan’s latest incarnation – its last tweak was a facelift in 2011 – is a significant overhaul and one which sees it taking on the luxury end of the market.

It wants to be the car that Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage owners think they’ll go for next to get them nearer to the BMW X3 or the Mercedes GLC.

VW has created a feel of space and luxury that compares with its costlier rivals. On the driveway it looks petite and compact but once inside, it feels like you’re in a full-size SUV – with spacious cab and lofty driving position.